Market Insights

Don’t Look to the Income Statement to Gauge Company Health

At Prospector, when we evaluate a company our first objective is to assess its downside risk. We do this by looking at the balance sheet first, followed by the cash flow statement, and finally the income statement. This is the inverse of how most equity analysts approach fundamental analysis and...

A Spotlight on Under-the-Radar Financials, Part 2

A question we’re often asked is how, given our consistent focus on the financial sector, we've historically been able to achieve differentiated returns during periods of acute stress in the banking system. There are several factors behind our track record, all of which are a product of our...

A Spotlight on Under-the-Radar Financials, Part 1

We are firm believers at Prospector that active management should not begin with a benchmark. Our bottom-up approach to portfolio construction and our focus on areas of the market where we possess competitive advantages generally produce stock and sector allocations in our portfolios that differ...

Achieving Outperformance with Lower Volatility

Prospector’s approach to equity investing has long been focused on the concept of upside participation and downside risk mitigation. As conservative investors, we eschew flashy names with brilliant growth prospects in favor of high quality, value-oriented stocks that can participate in rising...

Ending the Year with an Attitude of Gratitude

At Prospector Partners, we’re winding down the year with thoughts of appreciation, gratitude, and optimism. That’s not to say we were unfazed by the events that contributed to volatility in the markets this past year. However, in the 25 years since founding Prospector Partners, we’ve seen that the...

Old School Value Revived

Flip on financial TV, and you might come across a segment about the so-called death of value investing. After years of outperformance from high-flying and sexy growth stocks, many pundits proclaim a new paradigm for retail investors to pile into. The old school Warren Buffett-style investing...

A Remarkable Chart: Tesla vs Berkshire Hathaway

This blog was originally posted in December 2020, republished with updated data. 

Of the many charts illustrating the enormous run-up of growth stocks in the past few years, the chart below may take the cake.

Tesla (TSLA) began 2020 with a market capitalization under $100 billion, and by November 25

Commodity Prices Remind Us Why We’re Allergic to Leverage

One major impact from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been to pour fuel on the fire of rising commodities. And, as we are often reminded during crises, it’s difficult to see around every corner, and predict corollary impacts from resulting volatility. 

January in Charts: Value Comes Back in a Big Way

It’s only a month, but value stocks have significantly outperformed growth out of the gate in 2022. While we won’t try to make a call on whether this is a long-term rotation, we don’t find the outperformance surprising, and see a few reasons why it could continue.

Market Quiz: How Close Can You Guess 2021 Returns?

Few would quibble that 2021 was a strong year for stocks. But how strong, and where did those returns come from? Take a guess on the 2021 returns for the four indices below, then scroll down to see the actual numbers, and our perspective on what it means.